Those are coach Randy Carlyle’s priorities for Saturday’s visit by the Philadelphia Flyers. Phaneuf missed Friday’s practice after skipping both Thursday’s optional and Wednesday’s game skate in New York, before playing close to 23 minutes against the Rangers and slamming heavily into the boards late in the game.

“Maintenance day for Dion,” said Carlyle. “He’s got a lot of bumps and bruises as do many of our players. We feel it’s in his best interests not to skate today. If he skates tomorrow morning, then he’s available for us tomorrow night.”

Carlyle seemed to think the rest period would be adequate for Phaneuf to get back in the lineup, but the captain was hunched over Wednesday night after a race with Ranger forward Carl Hagelin to avert a breakaway ended in a high speed crash. Phaneuf made it the bench and eventually played another shift, bu was getting plenty of attention in the trainer’s room afterwards and has not spoken to reporters since early in the week.

“The guy’s an absolute horse,” rookie Morgan Rielly said. “He also gets some (public) scrutiny, but I think it’s (unfair). He played 29 minutes against the Habs on Hockey Night last Saturday and plays against the other team's top lines every night. I don’t know how many guys can do that.”

The Leafs have been going to seven defencemen, employing Paul Ranger a lot more.

“We’ve done it quite a bit lately,” said Carlyle. “It does two things. It gives our offensive players a little more ice time, so we can spread Phil Kessel around a little more and get more minutes for David Clarkson and Joffrey Lupul. And it takes a little bit of a load off our defencemen, if you get into a special teams’ game with a lot of power play and penalty killing. It chews some of the minutes.”

Don’t expect youngsters such as Rielly to complain or a veteran such as Ranger who was in the press box a lot before Carlyle went to using seven. It might be the lineup's status quo until injured centre Dave Bolland is ready to return.

“Having the extra guy is helpful and it gives you a bit more room to jump up because you’re not tired,” Rielly said. “I don’t know if anyone has a problem with that.”

As for the different pairings that have to be co-ordinated in the heat of battle when seven are used, Rielly isn’t worried.

“I don’t think it’s a huge difference. I’ve played with Cody Franson, Tim Gleason, Paul and Jake Gardiner in the course of the year.”

The Leafs are working hard during this two-day lull on a less risky power play after allowing two goals during the same minor in New York, for the second time in less than a week. That has sent their short-handed goals allowed total to an NHL-worst 10 this season. Carlyle called it a mixture of Leaf errors and enhanced opposition scouting.

“Obviously, teams are going to spend time and effort into shutting down our (top five ranked) power play when our skill guys are out there,” Carlyle saids. “We’re the same. We like to put pressure on where they like to go.”

But the coach couldn’t defend an own-zone turnover in New York that led to a fluke deflection off Phaneuf, or Kessel trying a force a left point pass through three Rangers that Dominic Moore turned into the second shortie.

“If that play works, it looks good. But it doesn’t look so good to us today. It’s one of the things you scratch your head over. Why are we trying to do that sort of thing in that situation? (But) it’s a lot easier from where we’re sitting.

"We have to make better decisions with the puck, it’s as simple as that. We were guilty of turning thr puck over in a critical area. That kind of stuff has to stop.”

Carlyle focuses on turning around power play

Those are coach Randy Carlyle’s priorities for Saturday’s visit by the Philadelphia Flyers. Phaneuf missed Friday’s practice after skipping both Thursday’s optional and Wednesday’s game skate in New York, before playing close to 23 minutes against the Rangers and slamming heavily into the boards late in the game.

“Maintenance day for Dion,” said Carlyle. “He’s got a lot of bumps and bruises as do many of our players. We feel it’s in his best interests not to skate today. If he skates tomorrow morning, then he’s available for us tomorrow night.”